The Trinity Six

"Brilliant....All this, in the hands of a less talented writer, might have been a routine spy thriller, but there is nothing routine about The Trinity Six . Cumming writes smart, seductive prose, and he’s gifted at revealing the subtleties of personality. Scene after scene crackles with excitement, tension and suspense. The novel’s ingenious plot is almost as complicated as real life, but as one astonishing revelation follows another, the book is all but impossible to put aside....With this novel, Cumming joins Alan Furst, David Ignatius and Olen Steinhauer among the most skillful current spy novelists, and he bears comparison with masters such as John le Carré and Graham Greene.... A sophisticated thriller." -- The Washington Post "Cumming's novel is characterized by a gripping sense of realism. He displays a vast knowledge of spycraft and Cold War history, and the dense, three-dimensional world he crafts comes complete with seedy hotels and smoky nightclubs. The result is absolutely gripping." -- Kirkus (starred review) " The Trinity Six is a fine successor to Typhoon for a young author already compared with le Carré and Littell." -- Booklist (starred review) "Cumming revitalizes the moribund cold war spy novel in this stunning stand alone.his knowledge of the spy business, his well-crafted prose, and his intensely engaging plot make this a breakthrough novel." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Utterly absorbing and compelling. A brilliant re-imagining of events surrounding the notorious Cambridge spy-ring." --William Boyd, author of Ordinary Thunderstorms "An absolutely terrific thriller. It's going to make Charles Cumming a star." --Jeff Abbott, author of Trust Me " The Trinity Six breathes new life into Cold War spy fiction, updating the genre for today's Spooks generation. It's nuanced, intriguing, beau... From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. British author Cumming (Typhoon) revitalizes the moribund cold war spy novel in this stunning stand-alone that centers on the "Cambridge Five" (Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, et al.), who betrayed their country to the Soviet Union during and after WWII. Fifteen years after 76-year-old Edward Crane is pronounced dead at a London hospital in 1992, academic Sam Gaddis learns that Crane was the oft-rumored sixth man in the Cambridge spy ring—and that he's alive and ready to tell his story. Gaddis, a well-regarded scholar of modern Russia who needs money to support his ex-wife and their daughter, thinks he can turn this bombshell into a bestselling book. But the people who know about it, including one of Gaddis's best friends, journalist Charlotte Berg, are turning up dead—and the intelligence agencies in Britain and Russia would prefer to squelch the story. Cumming's knowledge of the spy business, his well-crafted prose, and his intensely engaging plot make this a breakthrough novel. 100,000 first printing. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. From Booklist Starred Review Books and films almost beyond number have been inspired by the 'Cambridge Spies,' five well-bred, brilliant English university students recruited to spy for the Soviet Union in the 1930s. Their efforts helped Stalin defeat the Nazis, press the Cold War, and even brought down the government of Harold Macmillan in 1963. They also created a cottage industry of speculation that their number was larger. Playing on that speculation is what Cumming is up to in his latest novel. History professor Sam Gaddis, facing mounting financial problems, learns that there was a sixth Cambridge spy. People with information Sam needs for the book that will get him out of debt begin to die, and Sam must wonder not only if he will be next but whether his assailant will come from Russia's FSB or Britain's MI6. Cumming's plot is appropriately convoluted, and the convolutions drive the narrative. The characters are well drawn, especially Sam and a sly 91-year-old former spook in a nursing home. Cold War hot spots, including Moscow, Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest, as well as Cambridge circa 1933, are rendered skillfully. The Trinity Six is a fine successor to Typhoon (2009) for a young author already compared with le Carr' and Littell. --Thomas Gaughan Europe is still littered with the darkest secrets of the Cold War. And the most deadly revelation of them all is about to be made! Hard-up Russia expert Dr Sam Gaddis finally has a lead for a book that could set his career back on track. He has staggering new information about an unknown sixth member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring -- a man who has evaded detection for his entire life. But when his source suddenly dies, Gaddis is left with just shreds of his investigation, and no idea that he is already in too deep. He is threatened, betrayed, hunted -- and alone. To get his life back, he must scour a continent still laced with lies to find the truth behind the Trinity Six. Both Moscow and MI6 will use everything in their power to keep their fragile peace intact. But why murder people to hide secrets that should by now be history? Gaddis starts to understand -- far too late -- that he is closing in on a discovery that will shake Europe to its foundations! FROM THE WINNER OF THE CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER 2012 FOR BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR. Perfect for fans of John le Carre, a gripping and suspenseful spy thriller from 'the master of the modern spy thriller' (Mail on Sunday) The Trinity Six [hardcover] Cumming, Charles [Jan 01, 2011]